South Africa makes some great wines and this new Cabernet is not to be missed. Full bodied, dry, rich and dark; just like the world's best expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Kaapzicht is a fourth generation winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The winery was founded in 1946.

Gamey, savoury, deliciously refreshing Pinot Noir from Martinborough's next new big thing - Te Muna Valley, a dramatically majestic sub region for grapes that is situated 9 kilometres east of Martinborough village. 

Big Sky Wines is on the high alluvial terraces of Martinborough's Huangarua River at Te Muna, 9 kilometres east of the village. Low yielding deep gravels, hot days and cool nights result in wines that are deep and complex. This is their flagship wine from a low vigour, low cropping vineyard.  Hand picked, crushed into two tonne open fermenters with 10% whole bunch fermentation and minimal crushing and with wild fermentation followed by 12 months in French oak, 12.5% of which was new. And therein lies the beauty of this insanely delicious Pinot Noir with its ripe berry fruit flavours of dark cherries and plums, balanced by mouth filling savouriness, warm spice, and silky tannins. 

The Big Sky story

Jeremy Corban and Katherine Jacobs founded Big Sky Wines in the Te Muna Valley, Martinborough, in 2005. They have since expanded their small vineyard, which is predominantly planted in Pinot Noir and also has a little Sauvignon Blanc, which they give extra textural complexity to with a little time in old oak on lees. 

‘Bulls Blood’ from Eger in Northern Hungary. Kekfrankos blended with Kadarka, Cabernets, Merlot & Pinot Noir. Savoury herbs accenting earthy dark fruit, spices emerging on the mid palate with a mouth filling savoury finish. Gal Tibor is credited as the winemaker who created Ornellaia at Antinori in Tuscany before returning to his native Hungary.

Traditional vinification is carried out in cement vats. Vatting lasts for between 20 and 30 days, depending on the vintage and, after the malolactic fermentation, the wines go into barrel (one-third renewed every year) and remain there for 12 months. The final selection of which wines will go to make the final blend for Château Angludet is made in the following February or March. The process of selection is strict (as only the best wines can be included) and is done by a series of tastings. Once the final blend has been done, the wine is fined with egg whites and very lightly filtered before bottling. Drink 2023-2035.

Dark and delicious Spanish blend of Tempranillo (85%) and Merlot (15%) made from grapes planted at high altitudes in the village of Moradillo de Roa. The hillside vineyards give depth and ripe fruit flavours to this dry, full bodied red, which has bright fresh fruit flavours, notes of spice and a smooth soft lush texture. 

Superbly balanced Blanc de Blanc Champagne.

Serge Gallois is a small-scale grower-champagne (récoltant-coopérateur) situated in the famous "Côte des Blancs" area of Champagne, known for its chalky soils that bring finesse and elegance to the wines.  

This is a Premier Cru wine, meaning that the grapes are sourced from high quality cru-rated vineyards from the village of Vertue - one of the highest rated villages in the Côte des Blancs. This is made with 100% Chardonnay and matured for 3 years on lees before bottling.

Bright, fine bead, aromatic and delicate florals combine with autolytic notes of brioche, citrus and stonefruit on the nose and palate.  Lovely freshness and minerality."

Commercial description

WINEMAKING

The vintage of 2023 was a challenging year climatically, very wet, and humid with low sunshine hours and periods of intense rain culminating in flooding in late January and Cyclone Gabrielle in early February.  The weather improved for the harvest months, but low sunshine hours resulted in wines with a light elegant touch, fresh, lively, and delicious in their delicacy.

Our Sauvignon Blanc vineyards are elevated hillside sites, grown on volcanic-influenced soils and exposed to cooling sea breezes. Dry grown and hand harvested before being gently whole bunch pressed, the juice is racked clear and fermented in tank with cultured yeasts, then blended, f iltered, and bottled in the winter. 

TASTING NOTE

Our 2023 Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a classically styled, wonderfully f resh aromatic wine. With clean bright aromas of snow pea and freshly chopped herbs the palate has citrus and elderflower characters, finishing with a refreshing crisp mineral purity. A fresh breezy wine that displays beautiful balance with a mineral delicacy, perfect for summer drinking.

Greystone is one of North Canterbury's wine stars situated on the slopes of limestone rich hills in Omihi. All of the grapes that go into Greystone wines are 100% certified organic with BioGro NZ and all are estate grown. No additional fruit is purchased to supplement production, which is one of many incremental steps that go into Greystone's high quality wines.

This pretty pale pink rose is made from 100% organic Pinot Noir. Aromas are plentiful with red berries, cream, brioche and lingering mineral notes. Summer berries and tropical notes flow through to the palate, finishing with focused acidity.

Certified organic with BioGro NZ.

About Greystone

The Greystone wine story began in 2000 when the Thomas Family bought an old sheep farm on the Omihi hills in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. The rolling limestone hills lured this family in and their goal was a single minded one: to make great wines from the limestone rich soils here. Fast forward 20 years and Greystone is one of the great (and, some might say, yet to be fully discovered) wineries in this outstanding wine region. Not least due to the work of winemaker Dom Maxwell and general manager Nick Gill, who began working together in 2005 and has grown along with the brand and quality. 

Quaffable, rich Primitivo from the Puglia region in southern Italy. Ruby red with violet reflections in the glass. The nose is fruity and aromatic with strawberry, blackberry and raspberry notes. On the palate, berry flavours continue with some spicy heat. The finish is fruity, with complex liqourice and almond notes. Pair with roast meats or an aged cheese.

Section 94 is one of New Zealand great white wines, made from a small portion of vineyard land that was named Section 94 on the country's original lands and survey map. It's the brainchild of the highly experienced viticulturist-winemaking duo, Ivan Sutherland (one time Olympic medal winning rower) and James Healy, the grapes are 100% barrel fermented in new French oak followed by aging in oak. Complex, great and long lived maverick wine.

Layers of depth with nutty aromas and full bodied with dry flavours. Drinks well on release and can also age, as this example shows. It is 100% Sauvignon Blanc but is not labelled with the varietal as Sutherland and Healy want to highlight what's possible from the land first and foremost.

This Gewurztraminer shows notes of mango, ginger, nutmeg and rose petal on the nose. The palate is powerful, with fruit flavours supporting a smooth flowing structure that lingers in the mouth.

"A brilliant red color with violet highlights, it seduces with its defined varietal typicity, boasting fruity aromas of plum and spices such as cinnamon and cardamom. It is enriched by its contact with oak, achieving firm yet rounded tannins. It is an expressive and juicy red wine." - Ruitini, Winemaker

APA, 5.4%

Goes down as easily as the US removes political leaders of resource-rich third-world countries. Just like a Weapon Of Mass Destruction, the perfect excuse to invade the pub with your closest allies. The perfect beer to destabilise the relationship with your significant other by going out and drinking this when it’s probably a pretty bad idea in the long term.

Hazy #13, 6.5%

The award-winning Hazy #13 was so fricking unbelievably great we had to bring it back! The big hitters Nectaron, Mosaic and Centennial, Juicy AF but with a solid bitterness.